UGC Videos and Creatives: What You Need to Know in 2023

In the app marketing landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential. In 2023, user-generated content (UGC) videos (and content in general) have emerged as a powerful tool for promoting apps and engaging audiences.

Table of Contents

What are UGC Videos?
UGC Different Types
Why UGC Matters More and More
How UGC Videos Improve App Marketing Strategy
How to Leverage UGC Videos for App Marketing
Measuring the Impact

We’ll dive deep into the significance of UGC videos and cover some crucial statistics, data, and examples to help you get started with this trend effectively.

What are UGC Videos?

User-generated content (UGC) videos are created and shared by users, showcasing their experiences, opinions, and creativity. These videos often feature your app, service, or product in an authentic and relatable context.

UGC Different Types

In this article, we are focusing mainly on UGC videos, but it is also important to remember that UGC comes in various forms.

1. Social Media Posts

Social media posts are perhaps the most common and dynamic form of UGC. Users share their experiences, feedback, and photos related to your app on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Benefits: social media posts provide real-time engagement and social proof. They allow users to express their genuine opinions, creating community and trust among potential customers.
Usage: encourage users to share their app-related stories and tag your app’s official account. Highlight these posts on social media channels to showcase satisfied customers and amplify their reach.

2. Blog Posts

Some users may prefer writing longer-form content to share their experiences with your app. Blog posts can provide in-depth insights, tutorials, and reviews.

Benefits: blog posts offer detailed explanations, making them valuable for potential users seeking comprehensive information about your app’s features and benefits.
Usage: identify influential bloggers or users within your niche and collaborate with them to create guest blog posts or reviews. Share these on your app’s website and social media for increased visibility.

3. Product Reviews

Product reviews are written or video evaluations of your app’s performance and usability. Users rate and comment on their experiences, often on app stores or dedicated review platforms.

Benefits: reviews are trusted sources of information for prospective users. Positive reviews boost credibility, while constructive criticism helps improve your app.
Usage: encourage users to leave reviews on App Stores and showcase positive reviews on your website or marketing materials. Address negative feedback constructively to demonstrate responsiveness.

Moreover, with the increasing number of online and offline video editing tools, creating UGC videos is becoming a breeze. Most of these tools come in various features, such as adding subtitles to video, removing background noise, trimming a clip, and converting video, making it easier to come up with this type of content.

4. UGC Videos

They can be in various formats, including tutorials, testimonials, unboxing, or general app usage. Users create video content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

Benefits: videos are highly engaging and visually appealing, offering a dynamic way to showcase your app’s features and benefits.
Usage: collaborate with influencers to create video content about your app and encourage users to share their testimonials or tutorials. Share these videos on your app’s official channels.

5. Images

It can be photos or graphics users create to represent their app experiences. These can range from App Store screenshots of app usage to creative interpretations.

Benefits: images are easily shareable and can visually convey the user’s satisfaction with your app. They can also serve as quick references for potential users.
Usage: create a branded hashtag and encourage users to share their app-related images on social media. Feature user-generated images on your website, app store listings, or marketing materials.

Each type of UGC has unique strengths, catering to different user preferences. Therefore, it is not a one-size-fits-all but rather tied to your app’s features, field, and your personal marketing goals.

Why UGC Matters More and More

UGC content has gained prominence for several reasons. But we will list the most important ones for app marketers and their marketing strategy.

Authenticity: UGC videos provide authentic perspectives from real users, building trust and credibility.
Engagement: they are more engaging and relatable, capturing the attention of potential app users.
Cost-Effective: creating UGC videos is often more cost-effective than producing polished promotional videos.

1. The Impact of UGC Videos

Let’s take a look at some recent statistics highlighting the impact of UGC videos and content in general:

According to a survey by HubSpot, 75% of consumers trust UGC more than brand-generated content.
Instagram reported that posts with UGC receive 4.5% more likes than those without.
In-app UGC video views have increased by 55% in the last year, according to App Annie (data.ai).

But it’s not just about likes and reactions. UGC content used in advertising can have an incredible impact on measurable and quantifiable results with more converted users. Based on our data gathered from the campaigns ran across several GEOs and app categories, we also noticed that:

UGC ads have a far better conversion rate for in-app events than traditional ads, ranging from 35% up to 53%.
Ads using UGC compared with testimonial-like videos had an improvement in CR from impression to install of about 38% on average.

2. Best Real-Life Examples

TikTok Challenges: TikTok users frequently create UGC videos participating in challenges related to various apps. These challenges have gone viral and boosted app downloads significantly.
Reviews and Tutorials: YouTube is filled with user-created reviews and tutorials for different apps. These videos offer practical insights and guidance to potential users.

3. How UGC Videos Became Popular Because of TikTok

UGC became quite popular, mainly because of TikTok, and the fact that you can use such videos as a Spark Ad is a great and unique advantage for app marketers.

Spark Ads enable advertisers to promote their existing TikTok videos. These ads, like In-Feed ones, seamlessly blend in with the platform’s content, as they appear within the feed without causing interruptions to the scrolling experience.

Moreover, in contrast to In-Feed ads, Spark Ads can direct viewers to a landing page and a TikTok account. This means viewers can easily access the original content creator because these ads are linked to an authentic TikTok account.

We tested the UGC videos for Spark Ads and saw the following:

250% more followers and a 150% increase in likes.
Average watch time improved by 20%.
Paid profile visits improved by 45%.

How UGC Videos Improve App Marketing Strategy

Incorporating UGC within your marketing strategy is a potent means to elevate brand visibility, establish unwavering trust among your customer base, and ultimately propel sales. Let’s see how it can help with your app marketing strategy.

1. Authenticity and Trust

UGC videos are powerful because they embody authenticity. Users trust recommendations and reviews from their peers more than brand-generated content. When potential users see real people enjoying and benefiting from your app, it builds trust, making them more likely to download and use it.

2. Increased Engagement

Engagement is a critical metric in app marketing. UGC videos naturally captivate viewers, holding their attention longer than conventional advertisements. With features like user-generated reviews, tutorials, and testimonials, potential users can see how your app fits into their lives, encouraging them to engage with your app further.

3. Cost-Effectiveness

Creating high-quality marketing content can be expensive and time-consuming. UGC videos offer a cost-effective alternative. By encouraging your user base to create content, you can reduce your marketing budget while benefiting from a steady stream of compelling content.

How to Leverage UGC Videos for App Marketing

UGC videos offer diverse execution methods, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Among the favored UGC video formats is the “talking head” video, where the content creator records themselves speaking directly into the camera.

Typically shot in a selfie-style format, these videos serve as a means to convey personal experiences or viewpoints. The popularity of talking head videos stems from their ease of production, allowing for swift and efficient shooting using a smartphone.

We listed a few helpful steps if you are wondering how to get started with your UGC strategy.

1. Encourage User-Generated Content

Implement app features that encourage users to create content related to their experiences. Host contests and giveaways to incentivize users to share their UGC videos. Provide clear guidelines for creating and sharing UGC videos to ensure they align with your brand’s values.

2. Share on Social Media

Utilize social media platforms to share UGC videos and reach a wider audience. Create dedicated hashtags to track and promote UGC content effectively. Collaborate with influencers to amplify the reach of UGC videos.

3. User Testimonials

Incorporate UGC videos into your app’s landing page and marketing materials. Use UGC testimonials in ad campaigns to build trust and credibility. Showcase the real experiences of satisfied users.

4. Be Transparent and Honest

It’s a must for brands to transparently indicate when content has originated from a third party or has been derived from user-generated content.

Furthermore, proper credit should be given to the creators for their contributions. Brands must be conscious of utilizing UGC within their campaigns, ensuring that it is employed to demonstrate respect and honesty.

5. Double-check the Content

UGC varies in quality and appropriateness; not all may be suitable for marketing campaigns. Brands should thoroughly assess UGC for its quality, relevance, and alignment with the brand’s identity before incorporating it into their campaigns.

Equally important is how you convey the message within the UGC, guaranteeing that it harmonizes with the brand’s values and overall messaging.

Measuring the Impact

Monitor the engagement metrics of UGC videos, such as likes, shares, comments, and views. Use analytics tools to track the conversion rates and app downloads resulting from UGC video campaigns. In addition, collect user feedback to analyze the effectiveness of UGC in building trust and driving app adoption.

1. Adapting and Iterating

Continuously analyze the performance data to identify trends and areas for improvement and adjust your UGC video strategy based on user responses and evolving market dynamics.

Experiment with different types of UGC content to find what resonates best with your target audience.

2. Challenges and Considerations

Ensure that users providing UGC videos have given explicit consent for their content to be used for marketing purposes, comply with privacy regulations, and respect users’ rights over their content.

Lastly, implement a robust content moderation system to filter out inappropriate or harmful UGC. Protect your brand’s reputation by swiftly addressing any content that violates guidelines.

Conclusion

In 2023, UGC videos are an indispensable tool for app marketing. Their authenticity and engagement potential make them a valuable asset in your app marketing strategy. By encouraging user-generated content, sharing it on social media, and measuring its impact, you can use the full potential of UGC videos to promote your app successfully.

However, it’s crucial to navigate privacy, consent, and content moderation challenges responsibly.

If you decide to go on a UGC video journey, remember that authenticity is the key. Embrace the creativity and passion of your users, and let their voices showcase your app’s success. UGC videos aren’t just marketing assets but also a bridge to your users, creating a community that celebrates your app and drives its growth.

Unleash the power of UGC and increase ad engagement while decreasing the acquisition cost. Get in touch with our team of experts today.